Altoona Area SD operates 11 public schools serving 7,226 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 elementary, 2 other, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 6,853 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Blair County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,018 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 25.8% local, 56.9% state, and 17.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $76,248 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 49/100, ranked #328 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (18 AP courses district-wide), a 411.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.0% White, 8.4% African American, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Altoona Area Hs accounts for 32.9% of all Altoona Area SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Altoona Area SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Altoona Area SD school enrollment varies 2255× across entities
Altoona Area SD school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 2,255 students (highest), a spread of 2,254 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Altoona Area SD has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Altoona Area SD student-counselor ratio is 412:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Altoona Area SD chronic absenteeism rate is 22.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Altoona Area SD is typically wider than the Altoona Area SD-aggregate figure suggests.
Altoona Area SD has 11 schools, including 2 other, 1 middle, 8 elementary. Total enrollment is 7,226 students.
How much does Altoona Area SD spend per student?
Altoona Area SD spends $17,018 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #328 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Altoona Area SD?
The average teacher salary in Altoona Area SD is $76,248 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Altoona Area SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Blair County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Altoona Area SD?
Altoona Area SD students are 81.0% White, 8.4% African American, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Altoona Area SD?
Altoona Area SD has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #328 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.